Rutherford calls for more commitment from Windies batters

BALAGOLLA, Sri Lanka (CMC):

Despite having already lost the One Day International (ODI) series, in-form West Indies batsman Sherfane Rutherford wants to see a more disciplined and committed batting approach from his teammates as they wrap up their tour of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka won Wednesday’s second ODI by five wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best of three series.

The 26 year-old Rutherford has been one of the few bright sparks for the regional side in the series, scoring half centuries in both matches.

He scored an unbeaten 74 in the opening ODI and followed that up with a knock of 80 in the second match, his highest ODI score to date.

In five ODIs for the West Indies, the left-handed Rutherford has three half centuries and averages 56.50.

However, despite his efforts, the Windies have suffered back-to-back five wicket defeats, as their batters continue to struggle against Sri Lanka’s spinners.

And, while he is pleased with his good run of form, Rutherford said the other batsmen needed to be at the crease for extended periods of time if the West Indies were to be competitive.

“I’m in some good form, thanks to the Almighty. I’ve been putting in some work,” Rutherford said.

“You know, as a team, I think, moving forward, we should try and spend some more time at the crease. We have a good bunch of guys and there’s no doubt that we will come back stronger.

“It is a team sport, so the other guys just need to try their best to find ways to spend time and find ways to take the singles, and, when the bad balls come, put them away,” he suggested.

Even with the series already lost, Rutherford said he expected a strong performance from the team as they look to end the tour on a winning note.

“I have no doubt the guys will come back. They are very hungry and very excited for the third game, so I know they will come and put their best foot forward,” he said.

Rutherford was also part of a record-breaking 119-run ninth wicket partnership with Gudakesh Motie in the second ODI, the highest ever in West Indies history and fourth highest of all time.

He said it was not a complete surprise that Motie, who scored an unbeaten 50, handled himself in that manner batting so low in the order.

“I play a lot with Motie and I know that he can bat, so I was just telling him to keep good intent, ‘just pick your balls and just back yourself because you can’t just look to survive, you also have to look to score runs’,” Rutherford explained.